I wanted to express a thought or two, as I reflected on the last two days my life it seems is so beautiful in so many ways.

G. T. Reynolds, I am going to go out on a limb and say many of the people on this earth have not heard of him. G.T. is a very beautiful human being, at 86 years he has seen much and lived a truly amazing life. His wife died some time back, he retired from his many jobs one of them being as a religious leader in his church. I met G.T. as he cleaned the parking lot and grounds of a church near where I am staying at the moment. I went over to the church as he cleaned the parking lot just to say hi and thank you for doing such a beautiful thing for the church and for the earth.

We started talking and I listened as he shared the thought that he was saving the church money by doing this service and he was doing something to help the community as well as himself by keeping busy. He explained that at his age nobody wanted him to do anything nor did they want him to be a part of the business they did even though he truly wanted to work and be productive. He told me of his youth and becoming a Marine, I shared some stories as did he about our time in the military, basic training and the like and he shared some stories of the Korean War he took part in and the reality of war.

As we talked religion became the focus of his thoughts and he was as his religion dictates trying to convert me to his perception of the only true church and his faith that Jesus was the only path to heaven in all of its glory and the kingdoms there of. As he shared his thoughts I listened with an open mind and shared my thoughts in return regarding his religion in the most loving way I knew how. I asked him what was going to happen to the other 7.5 billion of us?

What happened next as he took off his glove to shake my hand and leave was in my heart a miracle of sorts. We had been looking each other in the eye as we talked for an hour or two he knew my family was very prominent in his church he also knew I chose not to be a member and why. For the first time in my life I knew as a human being that my friend G.T. knew the beauty of my soul as I knew his. We looked each other in the eye and he asked did I know him and what did I see, A single tear flowed down both of our cheeks as I said I see me as you see you, he reached out his arms and we hugged as he said “I love you” and I said “I love you too’.

I sat earlier today thinking about how beautiful that hug was and the sentiment behind it, recalling the times in my life when such a powerful man had given me such a hug. The truth is many men have hugged me, from G.T. to a big burley Harley riding preacher to my sons and many in between. There are two men however that I never got to share such a gift with, three if you count my father, my step dad and my grandfather make the three. I hadn’t realized that my grandpa never shared a hug with me until recently when my brother shed a tear over a memory from his childhood. He needed a hug at a time when we had no man in our lives other than our grandpa, my brother went to give him a hug and was pushed away, men don’t hug men he told him. I suppose I never thought about it till my brother and I shared a hug after the conversation.

I have not had a hug in some time until my hug with G.T. and had been longing for a hug from a woman and the comfortable feeling that comes from that embrace. I got a gift that gave me a lifetimes worth of warmth and comfort when I looked into the eyes and embraced my dear friend G.T. Reynolds, Marine, father, great grandfather, grandfather man and beautiful human being, as well as the soul and spirit that he shares with me. Thank you Universe for sharing such a beautiful gift with me.

I thank you all for allowing me to share my thoughts and perhaps a smile, as I learn a deeper love of who I am and who you are I wanted to share a hug of sorts thus the poetic expression of the gift a hug is to me. I also wanted to share the gift of an 86 year old man that is absolutely amazing and the gift of sharing with such a wise and beautiful being. I also want to say thank you all for sharing your love and your smiles, they are truly as are you making our world a better place for all we share it with. Than k you for being the change positive our world needs. J Joe

Yes it seems we do meet those souls from time to time, I seem to have been meeting more of them lately and it is quite a gift. I am making progress in knowing my own and these gifts are what makes it clear I am making progress… I am seeing the souls of many as I share mine.
Thank you Irene, for your hug and the smiles your kind words have shared with me…🙂 A hug back to you! Thank you I am grateful!🙂
Joe

Eric, thank you for your wonderful comment as well as the smile and love you share with it, I am grateful and appreciate you for your kindness and for taking the time to share in both reading and expressing your thoughts in such a beautiful way.
Thank you, and my wish of blessings to you as well.
Joe

Joe thank you so much for sharing that story with us.. It must have been hard not having a father’s hug or Grandfather .. I am so pleased you received a Hug from your friend and sending you another across the airways.. Hugs Joe. and loved your poem!🙂 Thank you
Sue

Sue I am sorry for the delay in saying thank you for sharing your beautiful sentiment, I had been so busy and this dashboard thing sometimes becomes over run so fast I have to go and read the posts to find the comments sometimes that I miss from the dashboard. I wish I had a way to highlight yours so I didn’t miss them. Thank you for the hugs and the love!🙂 I am most grateful and honored you choose to share them with me and with us all!🙂 Hugs and love sent back to you.
Thank you Sue,
Joe🙂

Joe, that’s fine, I so understand.. I sometimes have missed some comments too, then weeks later see them. So please no worries… With working long unsociable hours myself.. I am so hit and miss at getting around the many people I follow… But I have now given myself a good talking too… Not to feel guilty… And I know the True friends I have on WordPress will always pop back when they can…
So Have a wonderful rest of the week Joe.. and take care of the most important person in your life… YOU!🙂 xxxx

Barbara…. You are awesome! Thank you for all of the love and beauty you share with me and all of us, the Universe shines a beautiful thread from your space and your heart! Thank you for all your hugs and the smiles they bring:) Joe

Hug is a gift🙂 try and lift🙂 when you hug, always lift..will make the person feel like flying in air, and when they land safely, it shows you care ..so always share good moments with friends and beware, hug warmly and solid..no gaps any where